Negative Ear Pressure Causing Inability to Pop a Clogged Ear

Have you ever closed the lid on an air-tight container containing a left-over hot meal and stuck it in the refrigerator? And than when you try to open the lid the next day once that hot meal cools down, it is REALLY hard to open the lid because of the accumulated negative pressure? In essence, the negative pressure has "locked" the lid down. Well, something similar can also potentially happen inside the ear with eustachian tube dysfunction , especially with negative pressure (rather…

2/05/2013 4

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Do Ear Candles Actually Remove Earwax? [video]

About once a week, I have a patient who presents to my clinic with a history of ear candling for earwax removal due to clogged ear sensation. About once a month, I have a patient with ear canal and/or eardrum damage due to using an ear candle in an attempt to remove earwax. I even have on occasion patients who I thoroughly remove earwax under the microscope, who than go home, perform an ear candle, and inform me of all the "earwax" that I missed. Well... I've decide…

12/29/2012 5

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Ear Pain Causes Based on Acupuncture Principles

When a patient complains of ear pain or pressure , I wonder if an acupuncturist sees a problem with the whole body rather than a problem just around the ear itself...

9/17/2012 0

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Barometric Sinus Headache

MSNBC published a story on April 26, 2012 regarding headaches that come and go with pressure changes such as when flying in an airplane. The neurological researchers call it "airplane headache" and the story makes it sound like a newly discovered headache, but in actuality, it is something that has been known for a very long time. Human sinus cavities are air-filled cavities. When outside pressure changes relative to the air pressure within the sinus cavity, air pressure litera…

4/27/2012 0

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Video of Eustachian Tube Popping Open with Valsalva

Ever wonder what the eustachian tube looks like when the ear pops open with valsalva maneuver? Valsalva is accomplished by trying to blow air out a nose that is pinched closed. The eustachian tube is a tunnel that goes from the back of the nose to the ear. Well, here you go! Video provided courtesy of Dr. Vijay Anand . Watch this video to see where this eustachian tube is exactly located. Read more about ear popping and when one is NOT able to pop the ears, a condition called eu…

4/23/2012 0

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Video on Ear Clogging and What Happens When They Pop Open (or Don't)

A new video has been created describing anatomically how a person pops the ear open when it feels clogged or under pressure. Also explained is what happens anatomically when the clogged ear is very difficult if not impossible to pop open; a condition called eustachian tube dysfunction . Check the video out here ! Here's a video explaining what is happening more from an anatomical perspective: Here's another video showing how an ear infection may cause a clogged ear. …

4/18/2012 1

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